[AV Media Matters] Hi-Def Film Transfers

[todd wieneke <twieneke@mpimedia.com>]

     As a media archivist with a commercial stock footage archive, we
are constantly faced with Darwinian adaption to the ever-changing
demands of technology and the producers who prompulgate them. At
present, we are trying to deal with HDTV, and are subsequently caught in
the quagmire of confusion that seems to come with it.
     Much of our 16mm and 35mm film tranfers have been mastered to
analogue formats ranging from 1" to Beta SP, so it seems that they are
essentially useless in terms of conversion to hi-def. Is this a correct
assumption? I understand that a hi-def conversion is similar to a 16mm
to 35mm blowup, only with less resolution, so what might happen if a 1"
or Beta SP tranfer of a 16mm film was to go through a conversion? Are
there any technological solutions to this apparent degradation of image?
And as for our future film transfers, is Digital Beta the most
appropriate format to master onto in the event that it might be
converted to hi-def in the future (telecine transfer to hi-def are too
cost-prohibitive for us at the moment)?
     Thank you so much for any and all help in this matter!

todd wieneke
MPI Media Group